Prostate screening is quick and easy

Men hardly have anything to fear when taking a prostate examination.
According to physician, Dr. Brian Cohen, urologist Dwayne ‘Baba’ Thwaites and marketing and public relations chairperson of the Antigua Lions Club, Valerie Gonsalves-Barriero, the screening is fast and effortless.
They appeared on OBSERVER AM yesterday to encourage males in Antigua and Barbuda, 40 years and older, to participate in the annual free prostate screening at the Lions Den on Saturday August 18.
“It’s a quick exam. It takes two or three seconds to do and it’s something that needs to be done once a year for most men. We do an examination of the prostate which is known as a Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and that is a quick three or four second exam. We place a finger in the rectum to feel the prostate for any abnormalities,” Dr. Cohen explained.
He added that a blood test is also done called a PSA test and according to the age of the patient, if the PSA levels found in the blood are outside the expected levels, then that will indicate that prostate cancer may be an issue. He said that the entire process, which is essential to the health of men, takes little time.
Dr. Thwaites chimed in on the importance of screening for prostate cancer. He said that with screening a disease can be detected early and the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better the treatment options and the greater the chances of a cure. He confidently stated that the cure rate is currently 95 percent if detected early.
Dr. Cohen added that men of African descent are at higher risk of getting prostate cancer and therefore should utilise every opportunity to get screened. He also highlighted that there are no early warning signs of prostate cancer. He emphasised that early detection is critical for diseases like prostate cancer that are asymptomatic.
(More in today’s Daily Observer)